[NBLUG/talk] Debian Xfree86

[sms at sonic.net]

> Good to know. I was planning on updating to testing once I got the
> stable version going...but maybe I'll try that.
> thanks,
> Meg

I was planning on going with a "pure debian" install, but after
my experience researching what I needed to know to even _attempt_
it,  vs.  my experience at the recent (Feb) 'fest, I've become
rather a convert to Knoppix.

It's a bootable-CD distro based on Debian (Sid); aside from bundling
it up with quite a few extras, they've evidently put a non-trivial
amount of effort into making it auto-detect just a *huge* amount
of hardware.  My spankin-new box (P4 Hyperthreaded, 2.8Ghz) installed
as slick as <unsavory politician of your choice> foolin' the voters
(considered putting in *my* choice of politician, but didn't wanna
start a political flamefest).

After it loaded, I went online, grabbed a favored window-manager binary
and that too just /ran/ without a hitch.

I was impressed.  I suspect you will be too... and if it doesn't work
or you don't care for it... well, you're booted off CD; just don't
install it to your HDD.  If you're undecided, boot CD again (& again),
'til you're decided (of course, you can't customize; alas!).  If/when
you DO decide to install, that too should go pretty smoothly -- it did
for me!

Best o' Luck!


- Steve S.